Hummus (Chickpea Dip)
This week started off on a bit of a destructive spree on my end: while trying to make almond butter, I managed to melt off the chopper and grinder we got a few months ago. The almond came up to a pasty stage when it broke, so it never became as buttery as I wanted. Needless to say, I won't be posting anything about it until I can make a batch without melting machines or setting the apartment on fire.
What was also disappointing was the fact that I was heavily relying on using the grinder to make this week's Lebanese food. We didn't have anything special planned really; just hummus, falafel and tabbouleh, but most recipes call for a food processor/blender/grinder for the first two at least. I personally always am skeptical of machinery and often ask myself what people did before they had these machines... but well, the only answer is that they used grinding stones, etc (read: lots of work!). I'm lazy, so that, of course, is out of the question as well. But, with the soft and squishy ingredients that hummus and falafel use, I was pretty happy that at least I could make a close-enough replica by just using a potato masher. All in all, it turned out to be a very good lunch!
Despite loving hummus, it's actually the first time I've ever tried making it--not counting the times I used the "just add water" thingiedoos from the supermarket that taste like cardboard. I'm pretty happy with the result, though to get a better texture, I did indeed have to bring out the immersion blender I had lying around in the back of the cabinet. The texture was still a bit more grainy than desired, but it tasted just as great as anything I've had in the restaurants in town.
The only problem is that the cost of buying tahini (sesame seed paste) in Hong Kong is a tad bit high. In Taste, it comes up to around HK$70 per bottle, but I'm pretty sure we'll be making this quite a bit, so at the end of the day, it's not that bad.
Ingredients (Serves 3)
1 can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1/4 cup of liquid from can of chickpeas
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp tahini
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
Mint or parsley to garnish
Directions
Combine all ingredients into a mixing bowl, except for the chickpea water.
Using a masher, mix and crush the ingredients as much as possible.
Blend the mixture until it reaches a smooth pasty consistency (apprx. 3-5 minutes). Alternatively, use a food processor and make your life easier (or a grinding stone if you like the torture).
Add 1tbsp olive oil and and as much chickpea water as needed until it reaches the desired consistency.
Place in a serving bowl, douse with a tablespoon of olive oil on top, garnish with mint or parsley and nom with some pita bread!
What was also disappointing was the fact that I was heavily relying on using the grinder to make this week's Lebanese food. We didn't have anything special planned really; just hummus, falafel and tabbouleh, but most recipes call for a food processor/blender/grinder for the first two at least. I personally always am skeptical of machinery and often ask myself what people did before they had these machines... but well, the only answer is that they used grinding stones, etc (read: lots of work!). I'm lazy, so that, of course, is out of the question as well. But, with the soft and squishy ingredients that hummus and falafel use, I was pretty happy that at least I could make a close-enough replica by just using a potato masher. All in all, it turned out to be a very good lunch!
Despite loving hummus, it's actually the first time I've ever tried making it--not counting the times I used the "just add water" thingiedoos from the supermarket that taste like cardboard. I'm pretty happy with the result, though to get a better texture, I did indeed have to bring out the immersion blender I had lying around in the back of the cabinet. The texture was still a bit more grainy than desired, but it tasted just as great as anything I've had in the restaurants in town.
The only problem is that the cost of buying tahini (sesame seed paste) in Hong Kong is a tad bit high. In Taste, it comes up to around HK$70 per bottle, but I'm pretty sure we'll be making this quite a bit, so at the end of the day, it's not that bad.
| Ease of Cooking | Yummy Factor | Apprx. Cost |
|---|---|---|
|
|
HK$15 (US$2) |
1 can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1/4 cup of liquid from can of chickpeas
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp tahini
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
Mint or parsley to garnish
Directions
Combine all ingredients into a mixing bowl, except for the chickpea water.
Using a masher, mix and crush the ingredients as much as possible.
Blend the mixture until it reaches a smooth pasty consistency (apprx. 3-5 minutes). Alternatively, use a food processor and make your life easier (or a grinding stone if you like the torture).
Add 1tbsp olive oil and and as much chickpea water as needed until it reaches the desired consistency.
Place in a serving bowl, douse with a tablespoon of olive oil on top, garnish with mint or parsley and nom with some pita bread!
